The Las Vegas Raiders have historically been on the short end of trying to acquire quarterbacks. One player that’s on that list is San Francisco 49ers legend, Steve Young.
The Silver and Black have had some bad luck when it comes to the quarterback position. However, the team does have its share of legends, such as Kenneth “Snake” Stabler and Jim Plunkett. However, there are plenty of failed trades where the Raiders came up short. In one of those scenarios, the team could’ve acquired the future Hall of Famer.
Legendary Raiders owner Al Davis once tried to swing for the fences and attempted to trade for Young. Back in 1989, the 49ers were in a tough spot. Joe Montana was starting to show his age as wear and tear began to take a toll on his body. Be that as it may, he wasn’t quite ready to give up the mantle of starting quarterback. This left Young in a frustrating position.
The 49ers were reportedly asking for a first-round and second-round choice, along with a future Hall of Fame wide receiver by the name of Tim Brown.
The 49ers were simply asking for too much from the Raiders
Young recently recalled that Davis himself told him once the trade nearly happened. Last Wednesday, Young elaborated on this, “Al Davis once told me that he had it done. It was after the ’89 season. They announced it internally on draft day, and then something—I don’t know what ended up happening—it didn’t happen. No one ever explained it to me, so I have no details. I remember getting that call.”
Whether or not Young would’ve had the same success with the Raiders as he did with the 49ers is highly debatable. Nevertheless, Montana did eventually move on from the 49ers and Young got his shot, leading them to a Super Bowl victory. As for the Silver and Black, they refused to give up Brown and in return, he became arguably one of, if not the greatest receiver in the organization’s history.
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*Top Photo: Paul Sakuma/Associated Press
